Newsletter
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The end of the year is approaching, a time for reflection and envisioning the future. While the holiday season means many different things to different people, for me it’s usually a time to take a few days off of work and gather my energy for the inevitable rush of exciting new projects in January. As I take that step back from the details of all those individual projects, the bigger picture of where we have been and where we are headed comes into focus.
And that begs the question: What does success look like?
While we can (and do!) ask this of our therapy clients, we can also ask it of ourselves and our organizations. For Fluence, in my vision: Success looks like training thousands of clinicians in ways that are reliable, ethical, and standardized, at scale and in an accessible format, so that sorely needed help can reach those who need it. It looks like creating systems and processes that serve both clinicians and the larger organizations that create the infrastructure of the field. It looks like making those systems and processes available beyond the field of psychedelics to related areas of healthcare where training in complex, nuanced interventions (where the relational aspects of care are central to success) is needed at scale to meet unmet patient needs. I believe that such interventions are often left behind just because of the complexities and nuances of training and delivering them–yet these kinds of interventions are more and more needed to provide meaningful relief to those who are suffering. Creating scalable, accessible solutions to this problem has always been our mandate, the reason we started Fluence in the first place, and this year we’ve moved toward this in a number of ways:
The launch of Fluence Sync, an integrated, secure dashboard that allows sponsors, CROs, trainers, and Fluence Administrators to track training progress across every trainee at every site in real-time.
Enhancements and improvements to Fluence Insight – our AI-assisted analysis tool that helps trainers provide transparent, detailed feedback on therapy manual adherence to hundreds of trainees in an efficient and timely manner.
Development of our content library: Materials that can be licensed for research site or clinical site training, reducing our startup time to begin study training from 6 months to a few days.
And, what are we looking forward to in 2026?
The re-launch of our on-demand KAP program. This has been our most popular on-demand program and the re-launch includes videos of real patient sessions, debriefs with experienced therapists, and interactive learning opportunities.
More research therapist recruitment opportunities! Those of you in our google group know we assisted one of our partners this summer in recruiting for therapist positions across the US. We’ll soon expand our efforts to match clinicians in our network to more of these exciting opportunities.
Preparation for the entire team: 2026 will bring the launch of our Site Toolkit, a multi-track educational program with materials for the entire team to prepare for research or clinical service delivery.
New projects: Training for more investigator initiated studies (we love working directly with researchers!), additional phase 2 & 3 drug development trials, and dedicated development of our capacity for phase 4 & post-approval.
And, I am looking forward to some solid steps toward FDA approval of psilocybin and/or another psychedelic for a mental health indication. There are several solid programs of research inching closer every day, so the time is now to lay the groundwork for responsible, ethical psychedelic treatments through our healthcare system.
The bigger picture is indeed complex, nuanced, and evolving. It’s heartening to see how many Fluence trainees have come through our programs over the years and launched bright and fulfilling careers in this field already. I wish you a peaceful holiday season and look forward to many more of your success stories in the years to come!
Thanks for reading,
Fluence Co-Founder
Donna Sorgen, LMHC, LPC (she/her) is a psychotherapist with over 25 years experience working with adults, children, adolescents, couples and groups. She is the Director/Owner of the Woodstock Therapy Center, a collective of practitioners providing a variety of services to the community including Ketamine Assistant Psychotherapy (KAP), psychiatric services , psychotherapy and holistic modalities. Donna has spent her career working with diverse clients in multiple settings. Her current private practice includes KAP, Psychotherapy and Psychedelic integration therapy. Donna has completed training in MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). She was a sushi chef, caterer and enjoys the outdoors and gardening.
Curious about training in psychedelic therapy but unsure where to begin?
We’d love to help you gain clarity on how one of our courses fits into your path. Schedule a free 1-on-1 Zoom call with Kabir Cooppan-Boyd, dedicated to guiding you on your learning journey.
During your call, Kabir can answer your questions and explain how our courses connect to professional certificates in:
Psilocybin Facilitation
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI)
If you’re a clinician with questions or curiosity about our programs, this personalized conversation is the perfect way to find your best next step.
Schedule your free 1-on-1 Zoom call with Kabir
Start your journey now and move toward certification in Psilocybin Facilitation, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, or Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration at the current, lower rate.
All certificate programs start with our six-week Essentials of Psychedelic Therapy course, with the January cohort taught by Donna Sorgen, LMHC, LPC and Rebecca Kronman, LCSW.
Certificate Programs
Psilocybin Facilitation
Jan 15, 2025 - Sep 1, 2026
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Jan 15, 2025 - May 12, 2026
Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Therapy
Jan 15, 2025 - Jul 13, 2026
Study Finds Microdosing Psilocybin May Enhance Divergent Thinking
A new meta‐analysis of three double-blind, placebo-controlled longitudinal trials (N = 171) shows that microdosing psilocybin produced a measurable increase in the originality component of divergent thinking, though no improvement was found in convergent thinking, highlighting the nuanced effect and the continuing role of expectation and dosage in outcomes.
New CE/CME Psilocybin Education Directory
The Healing Advocacy Fund has released a publicly accessible directory of CE/CME-approved psilocybin therapy courses for clinicians and healing practitioners, and Fluence’s training programs are featured prominently throughout the listing.
